Rhoda Morgenstern
Encyclopedia
Rhoda Morgenstern, portrayed by Valerie Harper
, is a character on the television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show
and subsequent spin-off Rhoda
.
at Hempel's department store in Minneapolis, Minnesota and rented an attic loft apartment in the same house as the building manager, Phyllis Lindstrom
.
After Mary Richards
moved into the apartment below Rhoda, they quickly became best friends. Throughout the series, Rhoda and Phyllis maintained an adversarial-but-friendly relationship. She also developed a close bond with Phyllis's daughter, Bess, who referred to Rhoda as her "aunt."
Rhoda received infrequent visits from her parents, Ida and Martin Morgenstern (Nancy Walker
and Harold Gould
). They, and a younger sister Debbie (Liberty Williams), featured in an episode when Rhoda and Mary visited New York to attend Debbie's wedding. A brother named Arnold was mentioned in another episode. The spin off Rhoda featured only an unmarried younger sister for Rhoda.
) and married him soon afterward. The couple moved into the same building occupied by Rhoda's sister, Brenda. The marriage soured after two years, and they divorced. After arriving in New York, Rhoda started her own window dressing company and later took a job at costume company.
Mary and Rhoda
. By this time she had also married and divorced Jean-Pierre Rousseau, a union which produced her first child, a daughter named Meredith.
ranked Rhoda Morgenstern 23rd on its list of the best sidekicks ever. Bravo ranked Rhoda 57th on their list of the 100 greatest TV characters. In 2000, Time magazine stated that Rhoda's relationship with Mary Richards was "one of the most renowned friendships in TV."
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
, is a character on the television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
and subsequent spin-off Rhoda
Rhoda
Rhoda is an American television sitcom, starring Valerie Harper, which ran for five seasons, from 1974 to 1978 airing in 109 episodes. The show was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Harper between the years 1970 and 1974 had played the role of Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky,...
.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Relocating from New York City, Rhoda was a window dresserWindow dresser
Window dressers arrange displays of goods in shop windows or within a shop itself. They may work for design companies contracted to work for clients or for department stores, independent retailers, airport or hotel shops....
at Hempel's department store in Minneapolis, Minnesota and rented an attic loft apartment in the same house as the building manager, Phyllis Lindstrom
Phyllis Lindstrom
Phyllis Lindstrom is a fictional character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Phyllis, portrayed by Cloris Leachman.-The Mary Tyler Moore Show:...
.
After Mary Richards
Mary Richards
Mary Richards, portrayed by Mary Tyler Moore, is the main character of the television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show.-Family:Mary Richards, born in Roseburg, Minnesota, is the daughter of Walter and Dottie Richards...
moved into the apartment below Rhoda, they quickly became best friends. Throughout the series, Rhoda and Phyllis maintained an adversarial-but-friendly relationship. She also developed a close bond with Phyllis's daughter, Bess, who referred to Rhoda as her "aunt."
Rhoda received infrequent visits from her parents, Ida and Martin Morgenstern (Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
and Harold Gould
Harold Gould
Harold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls...
). They, and a younger sister Debbie (Liberty Williams), featured in an episode when Rhoda and Mary visited New York to attend Debbie's wedding. A brother named Arnold was mentioned in another episode. The spin off Rhoda featured only an unmarried younger sister for Rhoda.
Rhoda
In 1974, Harper departed from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to star in Rhoda. After relocating back to New York City, Rhoda met ruggedly handsome Joe Gerard (David GrohDavid Groh
David Lawrence Groh was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Joe Gerard in the 1970s television series Rhoda, opposite Valerie Harper.-Early life and career:...
) and married him soon afterward. The couple moved into the same building occupied by Rhoda's sister, Brenda. The marriage soured after two years, and they divorced. After arriving in New York, Rhoda started her own window dressing company and later took a job at costume company.
Mary and Rhoda
Rhoda gave up her career as a window dresser/costume designer and pursued a career as a photographer in the time between the cancellation of Rhoda and the 2000 made-for-television movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Mary and Rhoda
Mary and Rhoda
Mary and Rhoda is a 2000 made-for-television movie that reunited Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper as Mary Richards and Rhoda Morgenstern from the 1970–1977 sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Although the film is a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, James L. Brooks and Allan Burns were...
. By this time she had also married and divorced Jean-Pierre Rousseau, a union which produced her first child, a daughter named Meredith.
Reception
Harper won four Primetime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Rhoda, with three of these awards for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and one for Rhoda. In 2006, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
ranked Rhoda Morgenstern 23rd on its list of the best sidekicks ever. Bravo ranked Rhoda 57th on their list of the 100 greatest TV characters. In 2000, Time magazine stated that Rhoda's relationship with Mary Richards was "one of the most renowned friendships in TV."